The Southern Wiltshire Area Board met to discuss a range of issues including funding decisions for the Community Area, Young People and Older & Vulnerable Adults grants as well as the Local Highways & Footpaths Improvement Group (LHFIG) grant. The Board also reviewed the end of year reports for these grant schemes and for the last financial year as a whole. Councillor Richard Clewer was re-appointed to the Brian Whitehead Sports Association, and Councillor Rich Rogers was re-appointed as the LHFIG Councillor Representative.

National Highways A360 Closure

The Board received a presentation from Ken Marshall, a Project Manager at National Highways, concerning the planned A303 Stonehenge Tunnel project.

Mr Marshall reported that National Highways would be pressing ahead with the project following a successful defence against a legal challenge by the Save Stonehenge World Heritage Site group. Mr Marshall explained that the project aimed to reduce congestion on the A303 and improve the setting of the Stonehenge World Heritage Site by removing the road that currently runs close to the monument. He also reported that a section of the A360 would be closed from mid-April to mid-July 2024 to allow Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks to install high voltage cables to a construction compound, as part of the project.

Mr Marshall took questions from the Board and members of the public. During this discussion, the point was made that:

If the alternative routes people use [during the closure] become damaged, who would pay to repair them?

Mr Marshall responded that:

The repair costs for damage to other roads would be incurred by us.

Area Board Funding

Community Area Grant

The Board agreed to award £500 to fund research into possible youth activities in Alderbury. Councillor Richard Britton, who spoke in support of the request, said that the research aimed to identify the type of youth activities that young people in the parish would like to see funded and supported by the Board.

Youth Grant

The Board agreed to award £500 to fund a Southern Wiltshire Community Area Youth Forum.

Health & Wellbeing

The Board considered a proposal to award £500 towards a Celebration of Community Intergenerational Event at Longford School. The event, which is planned for June 11, aims to bring together young and older people from a diverse range of minority cultures. The Board agreed to make the award.

Local Highway & Footpath Improvement Group (LHFIG) Update

The Board considered a report from the LHFIG, including the minutes from their meeting on April 23.

If funding is allocated in line with LHFIG recommendations outlined in this report, and all relevant 3 party contributions are confirmed, Southern Wiltshire Area Board will have a remaining highways funding balance of £42,270.61 in the LHFIG allocation available for the 2024/2025 financial year.

Reduction of Speed Limit, Weston Lane, Winterslow

Winterslow Parish Council requested that the Area Board fund a review of the speed limits on Weston Lane in Winterslow. They argued that there were inconsistencies in the speed limit on a section of Weston Lane, which changed from 30mph to 60mph and back to 30mph. They argued that this inconsistency, and the fact that the road was narrow in places, meant that there was a significant risk to pedestrians and cyclists.

The LHFIG recommended that the Board did not fund a speed limit review but did fund new road markings on Weston Lane. The markings would include:

• enhanced slow markings
• countdown markings
• pedestrian in road warning signs
• bend warning signs

The estimated cost of the work was £5,500 with the Area Board contributing £4,125 from the LHFIG grant and the Parish Council contributing the remaining £1,375.

Grove Lane SID Infrastructure Request, Redlynch

Redlynch Parish Council requested that the Area Board fund the installation of a NAL Socket on Grove Lane in Redlynch, at a cost of £700. A NAL socket is a fixing point for a pole. The socket would be used to mount a pole that would support a Speed Indicator Device (SID). The LHFIG recommended that the Board approve the funding with £525 coming from the LHFIG grant and the remaining £175 coming from the Parish Council.

Grove Lane Pedestrian Hazards, Redlynch

Redlynch Parish Council also requested funding for a package of measures to improve pedestrian safety on Grove Lane in Redlynch.

They argued that:

1. Access speed issues with traffic coming from Hamptworth as well as coming down from Bowers Hill.
2. Significant narrowing in two areas of Grove Lane resulting in blind spots.
3. Danger for pedestrians walking along the road. Specifically, the areas from Hackamore House to the Cemetery at the eastern end of Grove Lane with similar dangerous conditions by the blind bend between post box and Lambourne at the western end of Grove Lane.
4. Light restrictions due to large overhanging trees and bushes.
5. No street lighting at the eastern end of Grove Lane.
6. No safe route along the road to enable pedestrians and cyclist to avoid oncoming traffic

The Parish Council proposed a range of solutions, including:

• countdown markings at the 30mph terminal point
• additional speed limit roundels
• enhanced slow markings
• cutting back vegetation around existing signage

The LHFIG recommended that the Board approve £1,463 towards the project, with Redlynch Parish Council contributing the remaining £488 of the estimated £1,950 cost.

Broken Cross Safety Improvements, Laverstock & Ford

Laverstock & Ford Parish Council requested that the Area Board fund improvements to signage and road markings at the Broken Cross roundabout in Laverstock.

They argued that there had been a number of minor collisions at the roundabout, including many that had damaged a boundary wall near the roundabout. They said that the problems had arisen following changes to the road layout at the roundabout.

The LHFIG agreed to recommend that the Board approve £679 towards the cost of new road markings, with Laverstock & Ford Parish Council paying the remaining £227 of the total £905 estimated cost.

Disabled Bay opposite the Whiteparish All Saints C of E Primary School, Whiteparish

Whiteparish Parish Council requested that the Area Board fund a new disabled parking bay opposite the Whiteparish All Saints C of E Primary School in Whiteparish. The LHFIG recommended that the Board approve £1,125 towards the work, with the Parish Council contributing the remaining £375 of the £1,500 total cost.

SID infrastructure, Allington and Boscombe

Allington with Boscombe Parish Council requested that the Area Board fund the installation of two poles to support Speed Indicator Devices (SIDS). One pole would be installed on the A338 in Boscombe and the other in Allington.

The LHFIG recommended that the Board approve £1,500 towards the work with the Parish Council contributing the remaining £500 of the £2,000 total cost.

Kissing Gates, Landford

Landford Parish Council requested that the Board fund the replacement of a stile with a kissing gate on a public footpath. The LHFIG agreed to recommend that the Board approve £300 towards the work with the Parish Council contributing the remaining £100 of the £400 total cost.

Dunstable Crossroads, Firsdown, Pitton and Farley, Winterslow

Firsdown Parish Council, Pitton and Farley Parish Council and Winterslow Parish Council all requested funding for safety improvements at Dunstable Crossroads, which is located at the meeting point of their three parishes.

The Parish Councils were seeking funding for a topographical survey to enable them to design more extensive improvements to the crossroads. The LHFIG recommended that the Board approve £5,192.50 towards the survey, with the three parish Councils each contributing £852.50.

Decisions made by the Southern Wiltshire Area Board

The Board approved all of the LHFIG's recommendations.